When: Tuesday–During the mid-afternoon – 3/20/2018
Weather: Low 60’s, First Day of Spring
Observations/Thoughts
- Pet-peeved: For such a nice day, I had few to celebrate the occasion with. The only person who was available was a guy who I intersected with. He was about my age and talking on the phone AND he was shirtless. Do guys need to go shirtless in public spaces? I don’t like looking at my self while topless. Do I really need to look at some other person who is topless? If I am near a body of water, I am asking for it. I am able to prepare to have my eyes offended. When I am walking on the sidewalk and it is only a little warm, half-naked males are not something I enjoy seeing at all. I will even so bold to say I prefer to not see anyone half-naked on the path. Except for dogs. They shouldn’t wear clothes. That is weird.
- Terminology
- Intersection: I am on the right side and they are on the left. Or, from their perspective, I am on the left and they are on the right. On regular wide paths, this is pretty easy to visualize. When it is a narrow sidewalk, it becomes a little more unclear how it manifests itself. If there is a dog or a bike involved, the wider party will usually drop to the street–if a walkable street is available. If not, then the walkers hug the edge of the sidewalk or claim the first couple of feet of grass on their right. With bicyclist, an intersection could be a collision. On the few 90 degrees turns on the path, the bikes find it much easier to cut the corners. If you are where the corner is cut, you may find yourself harpooned by a bike. I step very lightly when rounding corners.
- Passing: This could be someone passing me or me passing them. My rules make the person passing responsible for letting the other party know. If a person is running, often I will hear them quite a bit ahead of time. If I am in some mental zone where all mental efforts beyond my eyes are someplace else, I may be surprised by the person coming up on me. In all cases, I just think it is a sign of respect to say, “On your left.” It is what I try and do. If someone is wearing earplugs, then I may just wave as I go by. My goal is to be respectful. The actions are meant to imply the words, “Hey, fellow human being. Glad to see you out getting some exercise.”
Walking Down Life's Road With Andy 